Animal-feeder.



T. G. FLEMING. ANIMALIEEDER. APPLICATION FILED APR. 1, 1914.

1,120,920. Patented Dec. 15,1914

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

lnventoi T. d: FLEMING.

ANIMAL FEEDER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 1, 1914.

1,120,920, Patented Dec. 15,1914.

2 SHEET-BHEET 2.

JQFZZJQZ Inventor I v Attorn THQMASA C. FLEMING, 0F STDPPINGTON,ALBERTA, CANADA.

ANIMAL-FEEDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

?atented Dec. 15, 1914.

Application filed April 1, 1914. Serial in. 828,309. 7

other animals or live stock, and which in-- cludes unique feeding meansfor regulating the supply of feed from the bin to the feed- .ing troughor troughs.

Another ob]ect of the present invention:

feeder of novel is to provide an automatic the several comand improvedconstruction, ponent parts in a peculiar manner, to carry out theresults desired in the most efficacious and desirable manner, thepresent device being comparatively simple, and inexpensive inconstruction, as well as being simple, convenient, practical andefficient in use.

lVi'th the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts. and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment o the invention herein disclosed, can be made within thescope of what is claimed, withoutdeparting from the spirit of theinvention The invention has preferred embodiment drawing, wherein Figure1 is a ,transverse vertical section of the improved feeder. Fig. 2 is aplan view thereof, on a slightly reduced scale, portions thereof beingshown in section on the respective section lines A-A and BB, of Fig. 1.Fig. 3 is a fragmental' sectional detail of one of the feeding devices.

been illustrated in its in. the accompanying In carrying out the presentinvention,-

there is provided a pair of parallel spaced troughs 1, of J -shapedcross section, and having their ends secured to end pieces 2. The saidtroughs and end pieces form the foundation of the feeder, so as tosupport the superstructure.

A longitudinal bar or board 3 is secured being arranged or assembledover the inner edge or side of each of the troughs 1, and has its endsor terminals secured to the end pieces 2, the boards or bars 3overhanging the inner sides of the troughs, and each having alongitudinal series of apertures therein Longitudinally slidable bars a:are mounted upon the bars 3 and each is provided with a longitudinalseries of apertures, while longitudinal bars or boards 5 are securedrigidly above the slidable bars 4, and are each provided with alongitudinal series of apertures out of alinement with the apertures ofthe lower bar 3. The bars 3 and 5 are stationaryor rigid, and serve asguides for the sliding bars or shutters,

the apertures of the shutters 1 being adapted to be brought into and outof registration with the apertures of the guide bars? 3 and 5 when theshutter or valve bars 4:. are slid longitudinally. The uppermost orsuperposed guide bars 5 are terminally secured to the end pieces 2 andare rigidly supported in any suitable manner.

Inclined members or pieces Gare secured to the bottom of the shutter orvalve bars i, and depend above the inner sides of the troughs 1, andwork through slots or cut away portions 7 formed in the outer edges ofthe lower guide bars 3, whereby, the members 6 working withinthe slots7, will limit the longitudinal sliding movements of,

the valve bars l. v

A feed bin 8 is mounted over thespace f between the troughs 1, and overthe two feeding devices above the inner side's ofthe troughs, comprisingthe stationary and slidable apertured bars. The bin 8 comprises corneruprights or standards 9 attached to the end pieces 2, sides 10 securedto the uprights 9 and projectingover the outer edges of the bars 4 and5, ends 10 secured to the uprights 9 and to the end pieces 2, and a roofor top 11 mounted upon the uprights. The bin 8 is provided with a bottom12 of an inverted V-shape' in cross section, di's posed longitudinallybetween the ends 10 and having itssides secured upon the upper guidebars 5 adjoining their inner edges.

Doors or closures 13 are hinged to the sides 10 of the bin, and arearranged to swing downwardly over the outer sides of the troughs 1, toclose the troughs, the troughs being opened when the doors 13 are swungupwardly against the sides of the bin, as will be apparent from thedrawings.

In use, the shelled corn or other v feed is supplied to the bin 8, andisdelivered down the inclined sides' of the bottom 12 of the bin, to theopposite feeding devices, which overhang the inner, sides or walls ofthe troughs. When the doors 13' are raised, the troughs will beuncovered, in order that the hogs or other animals may eat therefrom.Then as the animals move along the troughs, themembers 6 will be movedlongitudinally by the heads of the animals, to slide the valve orshutter bars 4:- The valve or shutter bars 4 being slid back and forthwill bring the apertures of the valve bars 4 into and out ofregistration with the apertures of the rigid bars 3 and 5, whereby thefeed will be fed or delivered through the feeding devices into thetroughs. Inthis manner, the hogs or other animals when eating from thetrough, and in nosing about the trough,

will automatically actuate the feeding devices, in the manner indicated.The apertures of the valve bars and guide bars are preferably spacedirregularly, whereby the various apertures will be brought into registration at different positions of the-valve bars 4, whereby the feedwill be dropped-at various points into the troughs, to cause the animalsto" move about in eating, and to thereby engage the actuating members 6for continually or intermittently actuating the feed devices, while theanimals are eating.

In order that the troughs 1 may be closed during stormy or badweather,or when it is simple and inexpensive, and may be readily constructedfromlumber, the device being capable of construction in various sizesand proportions. The present structure is devoid of any encumbering-..orprotruding parts, which might interfere with the .ani-

mals while eating, and the present device is otherwise of advantage, aswill be obvious to those versed in the art.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. Ananimal feeder comprising .a trough, a feeding device including alongitudinal perforated bar secured over one side of the trough, and alongitudinal perforated shutter bar slidable upon the first mentionedbar,

the first mentioned bar having a slot, and the shutter bar having adepending projection movable within the said slot and7ente'ring thetrough to be moved longitudinally within the trough by the animals.eat-J ing therefrom, and a bin disposed above the feeding device andcommunicating therewith.

2. An animal feeder comprising a pair of spaced troughs, feeding devicesoverhanging the inner sides of the troughs and including movableshutters having; actuating members projecting into the troughs, and afeed bin mounted over the feeding devices and including an invertedV-shaped bottom having its sides attached to the feeding devices.

3. An animal feeder comprising a pair of spaced troughs, upper and lowerperforated guide bars secured above the inner side of each trough, aperforated .valve bar slidable between the guide bars of each pair andhaving actuating means projecting into the corresponding trough, and afeed bin mounted over the troughs and including sides pro jecting overthe outer edges of the said bars,

the bin including an inverted V-shaped bottom having its sides securedtov the inner edges of the upper guide bars.

In testimony that/ I claim the foregoing as my own, I have heretoafiixed my. s gnature in the presence ,of two witnesses.

THOMAS C. FLEMING.

Witnesses W. C. Ronmsmg/ L. K. S'i'ErN.,,

60p!" of flflljflffllt my be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. G."

